The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-29
SAILOR JACK
An' o'ory OF the lEutiny on the
"Two Sisters"
oluei Captain and His Mates Tried
s'arvs the Crew-A Rightsous
Resistance to Tyranny.

S''0 cilcuHlStanceS were
published at the time. but l doubt /
u mere are to-day dozen people in tn,
united States who can recall them. ]
was one OF the crew. and participant
ana am now gong to give the story
OF the crime, and leave the reader to
Judge who was TO blame that the
mutiny came about,
The Two Sisters was a fair.sized
SNIP carrying from sixteen to nineteen
men, and was owned and sailed from
Glasgow. Ihad come around to Glas.
gov on a coaster from Liverpool, hay.
ing no chance to get ship. and being
willing to take up with anv thing to n
earn my way until times got better,
The Two Sisters was bound for Rio
Jeneiro. and the day I got into Glas.
gov was her day for sailing. Oddly
enough common seamen got a fall
which disabled him, and was showed
INTO his place, and the ship was of
almost before l could turn my head.
and certainly before I was prepared
for such a long voyage. Ihad been to
sea for several years previous to this
shipment. and had rated as cable"
more than once, but in this case / was
rated as ordinary" and the paw was
to be for such. was then about
twenty-three years old, a thorough
fankee by birth and feelings, and as
had neither parents nor home l did not
care in which direction sailed.
Now, to help you comprehend what
finally happened, wait to say that
no sailing ship ever left port with
every thing entirely satisfactory to
Sailor Jack. He is chronic grum-
bier. just as the farmer is, but he
means no more by his grumbling. He
will kick on the food. on the weather,
on the cargo, on his quarters, on al
most every thing connected with the
ship and her voyage; but it is simply
fashion. and he doesn't expect any
body to take him in earnest. And |
say further that there is no English,
Scotch, German or American sailing
ship afloat to-day in which the captain
cares two cents for the life of a fore
mast hand. The mates are born bull
lies, ready to knock a man down on
the slightest provocation. and they
will make the provocation themselves
Jack may be cut, and bruised, and ill.,
but it is only when he falls helpless
that he is permitted to leave his watch.
He is not supposed to have any more
feelings than an OK. and it would seem
as il the aim of most officers was to
make him forget his manhood. The
ditch diggers in any country live bet
ter than the average sailors. Jacks
hours are longer than any working
mans, his pay less. and there isn't
day from the time the voyage is begun
until it ends that his life is not in
peril. And, to cap the climax. he is
q man to put up with every thing.
He expects poor grub, plenty Of
abuse, great deal Of dirty weather,
and close shave for his life about
once in so often. He will stand more
bulldozing than y black slave, and
more abuse than an OK Mutiny at sea
is rare occurrence The American
marine does not average one in five
years. This isn't because the provoca-
ton is lacking, for that exists on
almost every ship every day. but be-
cause Jack is willing to bear 10 the
last moment before he turns. IL my
lime ! have known sailors to cut sheir
shroats, hang themselves, or Zap
overheard to end their wretched li~es
made wretched and unbearable BY a
bullying mate. A soldier would ha>s
shot down his officer in such cases. Il
lave would have run away.
We were not out of sight Of the
,oast before it was found that both
mates were bullies, the captain a
yrant, and our grub tho poorest which
,ould be purchased for ship The
rev were far above the average in
Joint of looks and seamanship. As
ve were mustered to be divided into
Watches was surprised to note the
,earing of the mon. 1t was just such a
rev as captain could feel confidence
n during long and perilous voyage
I there was shirk among the lot, his
ooks did not betray him. When we
we're divided off l fell TO the captain s
watch, which is in reality the
econd mates watch, and II
ound two more Americans with
and Green. They
gere able seamen of middle age, and
here was but one younger man than
n either W atch. In the first six hours
I our being aaoat / saw four men
nocked down by tho mates without
enough to have called out
rebuke from some officers, while the
aptain, who was evidently hard
rinkcr, exhibited his temper in vari-
us ways. 1t is usual for the captain
a ship to make little speech to the
nen when the watches are divided.